Visiting the most beautiful Christmas markets in Dresden is a must. And we have a lot of them here. For some time now, there has been no getting tired of the Advent season in Dresden: we have the most beautiful and diverse Christmas markets only a few streets away from each other. You don't actually leave the mulled wine and light swarms any more when you're out and about in the city. Christmas muffles should be looking for a way out: Dresden calls itself to be THE Christmas City!
The nights become longer and the cool temperatures let now also slowly the last leaves become multicolored. The autumn rears itself up again one last time with strong sunbeams, but it doesn't last long until Christmas time. To brighten up the mood, the children are lightened and smoked, baked and handcrafted. You make yourself comfortable (the people of Dresden know best about that) and of course a visit to the most beautiful Christmas markets in Dresden is a must.
The Striezel market at night at the Altmarkt in Dresden, Photo: aleksandra85foto, Pixabay
And we have a lot of them here. For some time now, there has been no getting tired of the Advent season in Dresden: we have the most beautiful and diverse Christmas markets only a few streets away from each other. You don't actually leave the "Glühwein" (mulled wine) and light swarms any more when you're out and about in the city. Christmas muffles should be looking for a way out. That can be confusing: where do the Christmas markets take place? And when do they end? What awaits me there? Aren't they all the same? Do I have to go there? This article should answer all these questions and bring Christmas light into the winter darkness.
Striezelmarkt- the oldest christmas market in Germany-
"THE TRADITIONAL ONE"
For the 585th time the famous Dresden Striezelmarkt takes place in the historical centre of Dresden. This traditional Christmas market is the oldest in Germany. It originally started in 1434 as a meat market where you could choose your roast meat. The whole thing was so successful that in the course of the years an ever larger offer of most diverse goods was offered. The best-known souvenirs are probably Dresden's Striezel, which is now sold worldwide: a heavy and high-calorie Christmas Stollen Cake with a good amount of icing sugar or the "Dresden Pflaumentoffel": a sweet and edible chimney man figure made from dried plums (it brings luck, what else). Many festivities are celebrated on Dresden's Altmarkt during Advent:
large opening (27.11.), dance evening (28.11.), Advents Calendar Fest (30.11.), Gingerbread Fest (1.12.), Nikolaus Evening (6.12.), Stollenfest (7.12.), Pflaumentoffel Fest ("Plum Men Fest " at 8.12.), Gospel Evening (13.12.), Pyramid Festival (14.12.), Sway Arch Festival (15.12.), Christmas Carol Evening (20.12.), Lights Evening (21.12.), Day of the Church of the Cross (22.12.)
The Dresden Striezel Market from above. A good photo spot can be found on the church tower of the Kreuzkirche (Church of Holy Cross). Photo: aleksandra85foto, Pixabay
Open:
Opening of the Christmas Market at 16:00 on 27.11.2019
open daily from 10:00 to 21:00
until 24.12.2019 (16:00 o'clock)
Dresden's Striezelmarkt is overcrowded, especially in the evening hours on weekends. A visit during the week is therefore recommended.
Programme for the Striezel market 2019
Admission free
Highlights and special features
Dome view on the Striezelmarkt of the Kreuzkirche at the Altmarkt (entrance 4 €); largest Erzgebirgische step pyramid of the world; show workshops: Erzgebirgische Volks- und Schnitzkunst, Plauener Spitze, Glassbläser; Stollenbäckerei; Schwippbogenaussichtsplattform; Christmas bakery and Wichtelkino; huge Advent calendar: Door opening with Santa Claus daily. 16:15; fairy tale forest with children's railway; letter box for letters to Santa Claus; Christmas telephone with direct line to Santa Claus (17:30 to 19:00, (0049-0351-4882412 )
Finest Erzgebirge woodcarving, here in the Guest House Bärenstein in the Erzgebirge Mountains, Photo: Juliane Schäfer
Neustädter Gelichter (New Town Lights)-
"THE ALTERNATIVE ONE"
There is this one small Christmas market, which one should visit absolutely, if one is north of the Elbe in the Neustadt: The Neusttädter Gelichter directly on the Alaunstraße in front of the Scheune barn. Here, the mulled wine is tasty and cheap and one can buy one of the alternative, homemade works of art of the Neustadt art scene (jewellery, pictures, postcards, sway bows, etc.).
Highlights and special features
Christmas decorations that refuse to be traditional; upgecycelte jewellery; local art; Boller oven and campfire; heated log cabin, Olaf Schubert smoking men; small but fine and not overcrowded; opening (27.11. at 16:00); John Avila Mora - accordion (on 27.11. at 18:00, on 8.12. at 16:00, on 12.12. at 19:00); T- Shirt Festival (7.12. and 8.12.), Martin Seidel - Christmas album (11.12. at 12:00); Big Bullet Allstars (on 2.12. at 19:30); Meet Santa Claus (6.12. at 15:30); DJ Trakos (Hey Music Lovers): Disko House italo Soul (13.12. at 18:00); Children's afternoon (15.12. at 15:00); Pub Choir (17:12. at 20:00); falling down, bastard peter & spirit - DJ set (20.12. at 19:30); Bario Katz and Barbarella, timpani and trumpets - DJ set (22.12. at 19:00)
Open:
27.11. - 22.12.2019, except Mondays daily from 16:00 and on weekends already from 14:00
admission free
Photo: Juliane Schäfer
Medieval Christmas Market -
"THE HISTORICAL ONE"
In the middle of the Dresden Residencial Castle, on one of the few preserved tournament grounds in the world (built in 1591), the Stallhof (back side of the longest tile picture in the world), probably the most beautiful Christmas market takes place. Small, crooked, cosy huts, stained glass windows, skins and medieval brass music, stilt walkers, bath tubs and pigs on a spit - everything here is just as you would expect it to be in the Middle Ages, only more beautiful: this is the Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof (stables). At the weekend there is a medieval spectacle with a colourful programme of music and dance and medieval carnies and fire spitters. In addition, the "Dresden Rauhnächte" take place here: the "time between the years" - mystical days in which fortune tellers and fortune tellers complete the market events. Weekends feature live performances by musicians.
The stable yard in Dresden Castle, Photo: Tama66, Pixabay
Highlights and special features
no permanent sounding with kitschy Christmas music, but handmade music; no electric light or plastic, about 50 shopkeepers with show workshops and original tools of the Middle Ages, only "Christmas Market", which opens after the 24.12. again its gates to the so-called Rauh- Nights, hot bath tub to warm up, tasty beverages (hot mead, berry wine, hot beer, ...), the stable yard is barrier-free.
Open:
Opening times Middle Ages Christmas (27.11. 16:00 - 21:30 clock and on 28.11 to 23.12. from 11:00 to 21:30 clock)
Opening hours Rauhnächte (27.12. to 30.12. from 11:00 to 21:30 and 02.01. to 06.01.2020 from 11:00 to 20:00)
Entrance only on weekends from Friday to Sunday (due to special christmas programme) and during the first part of the smoking nights (27 - 30 December)
4,00 Euro for adults
2,00 Euro for children
More Christmas markets worth visiting in Dresden:
Romantic Christmas Market Anno 1900 at the Frauenkirche (Neumarkt)
Augustusmarkt, the International Christmas Market (Main Street in the Baroque Quarter)
An overview of all Christmas markets in Dresden 2019
01.11.2019, 13:51 @ jule
Categories: activities · Dresden · events · tips · travel · things to do // Tags: Striezel Market in Dresden · Dresden Christmas Market · oldest Christmas market in Germany · Dresden Christmas City · Alternative Christmas Markets in Germany · traditional Christmas Markets in Germany · traditional handycraft in Dresden Germany · Christmas City · Augustus Markt · Neustädter Gelichter · Erzgebirge Art · Christmas time in Germany · Christmas Markets open after Christmas in Germany